Firefighters quenching a brush fire a day in 'abnormally dry' spring

Ottawa firefighters have respondedto an average of onebrush fire a day during what has turned out to be one of the driest starts to a yearon record.

Ottawa Fire Services made the statementin social media posts Wednesday, saying a brush fire in rural west Ottawa was the 12th between March 15 and 26.

There were two more fires in Kanata on Monday evening, Deputy Fire Chief Todd Horricks said Tuesday.

An open-air fire ban went into effect on Sunday. The ban includescampfires, agricultural burns and brush pile burns, and extends to those with permits.

Horricks said most years, burn bans begin in early to mid-April. This year, however, spring has arrived with "abnormally dry conditions due to a shortened winter."

According to aCBC analysis of weather data dating back to 1890, it's Ottawa's second-driest startto the year on record.

About 122 millimetres of precipitation fell between Jan. 1 and March 25, about 83 millimetres below average. Just 101 millimetres fell duringthat same period in 2021.

The Deep River and Maniwaki areas have also beenunusually dry, according tothe most recent federal drought report. Quebec's forest fire protection agency says there's a low fire risk for most of the Outaouais.